Difference between revisions of "Seon"

Each seon has an individual personality. They are generally agreeable, but can be affected by stress.{{annotationwob ref|Elantris|chapter=32|link=annotation-elantris-chapter-322068}} Raoden and Sarene each note that their seons are incredibly wise.{{book ref|Elantris|5}}{{book ref|Elantris|10}} Seon personalities are very similar to those of humans and they are able to convey emotions easily; they may even have superstitions.{{book ref|Elantris|2}}

Seons can form bonds with individual humans. The human does not have to be an [[Elantrian]]. They love their masters and act as loyal companions and advisors.{{book ref|Elantris|16}} The bond works through [[Spiritual Realm|Spiritual]] [[Connection]]{{wob ref|10049}} and has similarities to the [[Nahel bond]] on [[Roshar]].{{wob ref|3488}} The seons are bound only by love and are not obligated to serve.{{annotationwob ref|Elantris|chapter=16|link=annotation-elantris-chapter-161965}} The bond typically makes the seon and its master very close. Raoden sees [[Ien]] as more than a servant or even a friend; he sees him as the embodiment of his god's love.{{book ref|Elantris|16}} A seon could theoretically abandon its master,{{wob ref|893}} but how and why this could happen is not known; [[Hrathen]] views seons as heresy and is shocked upon learning that [[Wyrn (title)|Wyrn]] [[Wulfden the Fourth]] uses them. He uses his seon as a necessary tool to achieve higher goals, hating it and keeping it in a box, but it is always ready and willing to serve him when called upon.{{book ref|Elantris|12}} Unlike the [[Nahel bond]], the bond between seons and humans has not been shown to give either party any new abilities.

The bond can be Passed from person to person.{{annotationwob ref|Elantris|chapter=34|link=annotation-elantris-chapter-342076}} The Passing is initiated when the seon's master instructs it to form a bond with a new person,{{book ref|Elantris|34}} but the mechanics of the change in bond is not clear. Passing can occur even if the human is an infant.{{book ref|Elantris|5}} It is not uncommon to keep a seon in the same family for hundreds of years.{{book ref|Elantris|5}}{{book ref|Elantris|34}} Raoden believes that the seons inherently need to serve and that they would seek out a new master if theirs suddenly died.{{book ref|Elantris|34}} In some cases, it appears that seons can be assigned by an authority figure; Wyrn gives one to Hrathen{{book ref|Elantris|12}} and Raoden gives two seons to [[Dashe]].{{book ref|thoe}}

* Seons were inspired by a series of paintings by [[Michael Whelan]] called ''Passage''. Brandon saw the paintings in high school and wrote a story involving balls of light, which later became the seons.{{annotationwob ref|Elantris|chapter=16|link=annotation-elantris-chapter-161965}} The paintings can be seen on Michael Whelan's [https://www.michaelwhelan.com/gallery/personal-visions/passage/ website].

* In an earlier draft of ''Elantris'', seons possessed the ability to 'complete' their Aons a single time, creating the effect their Aon is used for in AonDor, and killing the seon.{{annotationwob ref|Warbreaker|chapter=12|link=annotation-warbreaker-chapter-twelve6724}} Ien targeted this ability on Dilaf, 'healing him'; since Ien's Aon was still incomplete, this turned Dilaf into a fallen Elantrian.{{annotationwob ref|Elantris|chapter=62-3|link=annotation-elantris-62-32234}} Brandon used some elements of this mechanism in ''[[Warbreaker]]'' with the [[Returned]]'s ability to sacrifice their [[divine Breath]].{{annotationwob ref|Warbreaker|chapter=12|link=annotation-warbreaker-chapter-twelve6724}}